The use of devices for preventing a toilet tank, liquid tank, swimming pool, reservoir or the like are known in the prior art. More specifically, devices for preventing a toilet tank or toilet flush system from overflowing or maintaining the level of water in a swimming pool heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the many prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art of toilet/liquid tank overflowing or level control includes:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,082,110 discloses a modification to existing water closets of the type which uses a vertical float assembly that permits the user to select, each time the toilet is to be flushed whether a relatively small or relatively large amount of water will be required to flush the waste from the toilet bowl.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,021,807 discloses an apparatus for refilling a water tank to a preferred height. Said apparatus comprises a main float sliding along an inlet pipe and further having an extruder located at the bottom thereof for connecting with an extension bar and further connecting to a supporting bar and a water valve on top of the inlet pipe. The main float further includes a dual stair shape valley atop to accommodate an auxiliary float having a restraint cam located on top of the inlet pipe. The main float is kept in the water by the auxiliary float atop while in the early stage of the water feeding process, for accumulating enough buoyant energy, until the auxiliary float is drifted away, the accumulated buoyant energy in the main float is released suddenly for generating a huge pressure rapidly to block the water valve for stopping the water feeding process.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,740,561 discloses a water saving structure of a toilet bowl water tank where the said tank is disposed with a float ball valve for controlling a water outgoing valve. Other relevant documents JP6230831A2, JP7189304A2, JP11158855A2, U.S. Pat. No. 4,982,110.
Examples of prior art for devices to control the liquid level in pools and reservoir include:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,596,773 which discloses a portable swimming pool water level maintenance for releasable attachment to a swimming pool having a built-in skimmer. The device includes an upright conduit open at each end and having a conventional toilet ball cock valve and vertically slidable float assembly mounted there within.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,655,232 discloses a water level control device comprising a connector tubular housing one serving as a support for a hose connection and the other serving to house a float assembly for operation of a ball valve within the valve housing. An airtight float serves to raise the one extreme of a lever arm when buoyed by sufficient water level admitted through apertures in the float housing. The other extreme of the lever arm includes an upward projection that contacts a ball within the ball valve cavity urged against a lower valve seat by water pressure from a water hose.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,617,949 discloses an apparatus for monitoring and controlling the level of fluid in a reservoir. The apparatus utilises a fluid sensing probe to monitor the level of fluid in a reservoir. Other relevant documents include U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,267, JP59087518A2, U.S. Pat. No. 4,574,405, JP5248358A2.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose an apparatus that can be used for various applications such as in liquid tanks, toilet tanks, swimming pool, reservoir and the like for maintaining the liquid level without making modifications or changes to the said apparatus.
It is an object of the invention to provide a simple liquid level controller which can be easily installed to tanks such as toilet tank, cisterns, swimming pool or the like without requiring structural modification to the tanks or the apparatus during installation.
It is also a specific object of the invention to provide an apparatus that permits slight tolerance in the preferred level of liquid when used in swimming pools where the liquid constantly fluctuates due to surface waves.
It also an object of the present invention to provide such an apparatus which is relative inexpensive to manufacture. It is also a further object of the invention to provide an apparatus which is considerably light and compact in size.
Still another object of the invention to provide an adjustable means to control the preferred liquid level.
While these units may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.
To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, this invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that changes may be made in the specific construction illustrated and described within the scope of the appended claims.
In these respect, the liquid level controller apparatus according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus of preventing a tank, swimming pool or the like with a mechanism to control the level of liquid in it at a predetermined height.